Whadjuk people of the Nyoongar nation
Western Australia
The Western Australian Space Science Education Centre (WASSEC) at Joseph Banks Secondary College is the state’s first educational facility dedicated to space science. The project features a Mars Landscape simulation space, Mission Control room, Cyber Security labs, science and STEM labs, staff offices and classrooms, all in support of the school’s Space Academy program. The facility, expected to attract 10,000 students annually, offers unique hands-on training, and is supported by industry and academic partnerships.
The design features an impressive, double-height foyer with a presentation space opposite learning steps that encourage student gatherings, plus an immersive Mars Landscape simulation environment. While the new building complements the campus architecture, WASSEC also references sci-fi iconography, expressing the exciting domain of space exploration.
The project’s completion marks a significant expansion of the school’s specialised curriculum, and WASSEC positions Joseph Banks Secondary College as a leader in space science education.
The design of the WASSEC building has multiple benefits and enables the multiple purposes of the building to occur simultaneously:
1. As state-of-the-art teaching facilities for our students in the sciences, technologies with contemporary learning spaces.
2. As a specialist centre for students in the state to learn about space sciences, experience a simulated learning experience, as an astronaut on the Mars surface and in mission control facilities.
3. As a facility to provide professional learning for teachers, both in person and remotely.
4. As an inclusive space for our wider community through the integration of traditional aboriginal sky stories..
Geoff Warn, Design Director
Daniel Aisenson, Project Director
Matthew Robinson, Project Architect / Superintendents Representative
Polina Zhalniarovich, Project Architect / Interiors Lead
Joshua Cobb-Diamond, Design Architect
Andrew de Boer, Documentation Lead
Nic Kleijn, Documentation
Rafael Velez, Documentation
Nic Kotsoglo, Graduate of Architecture
Sam Gorecki, Graphics and Signage
Landscape Planners, Landscape Consultant
BG&E, Structural & Civil
SMWC, Mechanical
Focus, Electrical Consultant
HDA, Hydraulic Consultant
BCA Consultants, BCA Compliance
Turner & Townsend, Quantity Surveyor
Gabriels Hearne Farrell, Acoustic Consultant
Full Circle Design Services, ESD & Section J
MGAC, Accessibility